Water slides for amusement purposes are well known and typically have straight and/or curved slide runs with entry thereto from a platform at an upper end and discharge from the opposite end at a lower elevation into a pool. Water is pumped, normally from the pool, to the upper end of the slide and runs conventionally in a continuous manner down the slide providing a slip surface for the occupant. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,042, issued Mar. 20, 1979 to K. Becker, and 4,194,733, issued Mar. 25, 1980 to B. Whitehouse disclose a single helical run from an elevated platform to a pool of water at the bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,900, issued Apr. 8, 1980 to K. Becker, discloses a system of multiple runs from a platform or platforms at the upper end into a common landing pool at the bottom. This system substantially increases the capacity without a corresponding increase in the area occupied by the system.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved design which further minimizes the area occupied by the system and maximizes the capacity of the slide.
In the foregoing patented systems as well as others, water is continuously recirculated and runs down the slide at a constant flow rate. In the foregoing U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,900 it has been suggested the water supply system may include thrust nozzles at the top of the slide giving an extra push component to a person so that once boarded on the slide such person does not block the slide by remaining in place. This extra thrust at the beginning of the ride, however, does not in any way ensure the rider will continue without stopping for some reason or other before reaching the end of the run.
Should one rider on the run travel at a slower rate than another rider upstream therefrom, the latter can run into the former and one or the other can get hurt, and sometimes severely. Because of this possibility of mishap along the run, some operators prevent one from commencing the ride at the upper end until such time as the earlier rider has reached the pool at the bottom. While this increases the safety of the run, it severely limits the capacity.
If a number of riders travel in sequence one after the other down the same run and even though they are allowed to go at spaced intervals, the various riders will travel at different speeds relative to one another. For example, an inexperienced or novice rider may be substantially slower or purposely, through fright, slow themselves down by sitting up and/or holding on to the sides of the run. There are a number of factors which will cause one rider to travel at a different rate than another. The present applicant, in one of his installations, has timed riders down one of the 400' runs and the fastest rider completed the run in 16 seconds. Obviously, at this velocity, considerable injury can be encountered by that rider running into one who may have stopped himself on the run or is travelling at a substantially slower speed.
A principle object of the present invention is to provide modifications in the water supply system for and in a water slide which not only gives the occupants a more thrilling ride but also increases substantially the safety thereof.
A further principle object of the present invention is to maximize the capacity of a water slide run by allowing a number of riders to use the same run and reduce the likelihood of injury through preventing or minimizing the occurence in which one rider will bump into another rider downstream therefrom and travelling at a slower rate.
A still further principle object of the present invention is to controllably maintain a spacing between multiple riders using the same water slide at the same time.
Another means of increasing the capacity of a water slide is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,733. The patentee proposes two separate starting positions for one slide and a valving arrangement where the water can run continuously and be selectively directed to one or the other of the slide start positions. While this may be useful in loading a slide to capacity, there is no provision or suggestion for maintaining a spacing between several riders using the same run at the same time.